Coin-slot device.



PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

F. B. HOFFMAN.

COIN SLOT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED M10. 12. 1901.

n0 MODEL.

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WITNESSES ,4, 66%;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. HOFFMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COIN-SLOT DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 720,028, dated February10, 1903. Application filed December 12,1901. $erial No. 85,636. (Nomodel.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-SlotDevices, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide improved means forpreventing the fraudulent operation of coin-actuated mechanism, as bythe use of iron slugs or coins of different weight or size than thosefor which the machine is intended. I accomplish this object by a deviceshown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection of the device constructed according to my invention and adaptedfor use in connection with coinoperated telephones. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the gate shown at the right in Fig. l and numbered 20.

The device shown consists of the casing 1, having through its top acoin-slot 2. A chute 3 is secured within the casing 1 and immediatelybelow and in alinement with the slot 2. Said chute 3 is supported bymeans of the brackets 4t and 5 and the flange 6. The chute 3 isrectangular in cross-section and consists of the substantially verticalpart 7 and an inclined part 8. The part 7 is of sufficient breadth anddepth to permit the easy passage through same of a coin of specifieddenomination-say a nickel five cent piece. The part 8 is somewhat widerthan the part 7, but is of equal depth. In one of thenarrow sides of thepart 7 is a slot 9 of sufficient length to permit the passage of anycoin which will be admitted by the slot 2. Pivoted at 10 near the lowerend of the slot 9 is a gate 11, extending into the chute 3 and havingthe weighted part 12 extending on the opposite side of the pivot 10. Thepart 12 of the gate 11 is of suitable weight to hold the gate normallyin the position shownby the full lines, but will permit such gate to beturned downward, as shown by the dotted lines, through the weight of anickel bearing upon said part 12. A lighter coin than a nickel will bedefiected by the gate 11 and caused to roll through the slot 9 and willdrop into the coinreceptacle below the chute without taking the form aweighted arm 13.

course intended for a coin of the proper dethe chute. The gate 13extends into the chute 8 and is also extended beyond. the pivot 14 toThe gate 13 serves as a guide to insure contact between the coin and themagnet 15, which projects through the walls of the chute 8 and forms aslight shoulder at 16. Immediately beyond the magnet 15 is a second slot17, which is of sufficient length to permit the passage of an iron slugof the same size as a nickel. The magnet 15 is secured to the chute 3 bymeans of the bracket 18. The inner end 19 of the chute is open, but thepassage of a coin through same is controlled by the slotted gate 20. Thegate 20 is rigidly secured to the shaft 21,which is pivoted to the arm22. Said arm is of insulating material and is secured to the chute bymeans of the strap 23. The shaft 21 extends beyond the gate 20 on oneside and is bent at right angles to form the lever 24, by means of whichthe gate 20 is operated. The gate 20 is provided with a slot 25, whichhas a breadth equal to the breadth of the chute 3. The length of theslot 25 is sufficient to permit the free passage of a coin of lessdiameter than a nickel, but will permit said gate to retain a nickel, asshown by the dotted lines 26. end with an eye 27. A spring 28 is securedat one end to the eye 27 and serves to hold the gate 20 normally in theposition shown.

The other end of the spring 28 is secured to the lug 29, which is ofinsulating material and which is in turn secured to the side of thechute 3. A stop 30, also of insulating material, prevents the spring 28from drawing the gate 20 beyond the position shown. The stop 30 ispreferably made adjustable,

being secured to the side of the chute by means of the strap 31 andbeing held in the desired position in said strap by means of a set-screw32. The screws 33 and 34 serve as means for connecting the wires 35 and36, respectively, to the chute 3 and the gate 20. A battery isrepresented by the symbol 37, and the signal, such as an incandescentlamp or bell, is represented by the symbol 38. A push-rod 39,terminating in a button at its upper end, extends through the top of Thegate 20 is provided at its lower the casing 1 and through the guide 41.The lower end of the push-rod 39 is provided with a fork 42 ofinsulating material, which rests on the lever 24. The screw 43 on theguide 41 and the screw 44 on the push-rod 39 are connected by the spiralspring 45, which tends to draw the push-rod upwardly. The screw 46serves as a stop to limit the upward movement of the push-rod 39.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: If a coin that islighter than a fivecent piece is inserted in the slot 2, it will dropupon the gate 11, but being of insufficient weight to counterbalance thearm 12 it will roll along the upper side of the gate 11 and bedischarged through the slot 9 in the side of the chute 3. If the coin isof equal or more weight than a five-cent piece, the gate 11 will swingdownwardlyinto the position shown by the dotted lines and admit the cointo the inclined part 8 of the chute. The gate 13 will cause the coin tocome in contact with the magnet 15 and will then swing upwardly topermit the passage of said coin. If the coin is of iron, the magnet 16will retard it sufficiently to cause it to fall through the slot 17;otherwise the moving coin,striking the shoulder 16 of the magnet, willbe thrown upwardly sufficiently to pass the slot 17 and alight upon theledge 47. If the coin is a five-cent piece, it will be retained upon theledge 45 by means of the shoulder 48 at the upper end of the slot 25 inthe arm 20. If the coin be of less diameter than a five-cent piece andof sufficient weight and proper material to reach the ledge 47 of thechute, it will simply roll through the slot 25 and fall into thecoin-receptacle below. A five-cent piece held in the position shown at26 com pletes an electric circuit and operates the signal 38. When saidsignal has been seen by the telephone operator, she will notify the userand will tell him to push the button 40. When the button 40 is presseddownwardly, the lever 24 will cause the gate 20 to turn to the right ofthe position shown and the coin will be dropped into thecoin-receptacle.

It will be seen that numerous details of the device shown may be alteredwithout departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do notconfine myself to such details, except as hereinafter limited in theclaims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-slot device, the combination with the casing, of aninclined chute arranged therein, a gate hinged to the lower end of thesaid chute and having its lower portion provided with avertically-disposed slot, a lever rigidly secured to the said gate, anda pushrod mounted in the casing and having its lower end in pivotalengagement with the said lever.

2. In a coin-controlled device the combination with the casing, of aninclined chute arranged therein, an arm secured to the lower end of thesaid chute, a shaft journaled in the said arm and having one of its endsbent at an angle thereto, a gate secured to the said shaft, a stopsecured to the chute for limiting the inward movement of the gate, apushrod mounted in the casing and having its lower end pivotally securedto the angular portion of the said shaft, and an electric circuit whoseterminals are connected to the chute and gate.

3. In a coin-controlled device the combination with the casing, of achute arranged therein, an arm secured to the lower end of said chute, ashaft journaled in said arm and having one of its ends bent at an angle,a gate secured on the said shaft and having its lower portion slotted,and provided with an eye, an adjustable stop secured to the side of thechute adjacent its lower end for limiting the inward movement of thesaid gate, a spring secured to the said chute and having its outer endsecured in the eye of the said gate, an electric circuit normally closedby a coin, and a push-rod mounted in the casing and having its lower endpivotally connected to the angular portion of the said shaft, and aspring for retracting the said push-rod.

4. In a coin-controlled device, the combination with a casing, of acoin-chute arranged therein, an arm composed of insulating materialsecured on the upper side of the lower end of the said chute and havingits outer end projecting beyond the chute, a shaft journaled in theouter end of the said arm, a gate rigidly secured to the said shaft andhaving its lower end slotted, a lever-arm secured to the said shaft, astop for limiting the inward movement of the said gate, an electriccircuit Whose terminals are connected to the said gate and chute, and apush-rod mounted in the casing above the lower end of the chute andpivotally connected to the said leverarm, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago this 10th day of December, 1901.

FRANK B. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, HERMAN GOTTSCHALK.

